cratch

A farmer fills the cratch with fresh hay for the horses.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A feeding rack or manger for livestock, especially one placed outdoors: "cratch" refers to a container or framework used to hold hay or other feed for animals such as cattle or horses, typically positioned in a field or yard.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer filled the cratch with fresh hay for the horses. (The farmer put hay into the outdoor feeding rack.)
  • During winter, the cratch was kept stocked to ensure the cattle had enough to eat. (The feeding manger was regularly supplied with food.)

Advanced Usage

• "to keep a cratch": to maintain a feeding rack for livestock.

  • They keep a cratch near the barn for the sheep. (They maintain an outdoor feeding rack for the sheep.)

• "cratch-fed": describing livestock that is fed from a cratch rather than grazing freely.

  • The cratch-fed cows produced more milk during the dry season. (The cows that were fed from an outdoor rack yielded more milk.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cratch (noun, variant form): sometimes spelled "cratch" or "cratche," but the standard form is "cratch."
• Manger (noun): a trough or box in a stable for holding feed, similar to a cratch but often indoors.
  • The baby Jesus was laid in a manger. (A feeding trough for animals.)

Synonyms

• Manger: a feeding trough for livestock, typically indoors.
• Hayrack: a frame or rack for holding hay, often used outdoors.
• Feed rack: a general term for any structure used to hold animal feed.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

• No idioms or phrasal verbs are commonly associated with "cratch." The word is primarily a specific agricultural term.

Related Idioms

• None applicable.